Union Pacific Railroad filed a lawsuit on Friday against Oakland and the A’s over the $12 billion waterfront ballpark and surrounding development at Howard Terminal — the second legal challenge against the project.
The lawsuit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, challenges the project’s environmental analysis and alleges that the city did not “sufficiently analyze and mitigate public safety risks and other impacts associated with the large number of motor vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians that will have to cross the heavily-trafficked” railroad tracks to access the stadium, residential units and other aspects of the project.
In a statement to The Chronicle, Robynn Tysver, a spokesperson for Union Pacific Railroad, said the company has “serious safety concerns” about the project because if built, it would be near “two busy rail yards and a busy passenger rail station.”
“Union Pacific believes developing the Howard Terminal site without removing rail, vehicle and pedestrian conflicts will exacerbate roadway congestion and create significant safety risks for the public and our employees,” Tysver said. “We are asking that the Oakland A’s and City of Oakland go back and diligently study a grade separated access plan to properly mitigate the risks.”